Safety roadway construction and rotary guard rail apparatus therefor



Aug. 14, 1934. H HlcK 1,969,845

SAFETY ROADWAY CONSTRUCTION AND ROTARY GUARD RAIL APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed Feb. 25; 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR BY H J JYic/i 7% ATTORNEY/S H. J. HlCK Aug. 14, 1934.

SAFETY ROADWAY CONSTRUCTION AND ROTARY GUARD RAIL APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed Feb. 25, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOE H 11710}? BY 3% ATTO Patentecl Aug. 14, 1934 UNiro STATES 7 1,969,845 o SAFETY ROADWAY CONSTRUCTION AND ROTARY GUARD THEREFOR RAIL PPA S Harry 'J. Hick, Alliance, Ohio, assignonto The Machined Steel Casting Company -Alliance, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 25, 1933,-Serial nacsaiss 15 Claims. (01.256.43.11

My invention relates to safety roadway construction, includinga roadway which may be the roadway of a land highway, vehicular bridge, and the like, and guard apparatus at one or more sides of the roadway, the roadway and the guard apparatus comprising a safety roadway construction-in which the guard apparatus is so cooperatively arranged with respect to the roadway that vehicles, particularly passenger auto- 10 mobiles, busses, and motor trucks, which swerve or'turn from the normaldirection or path of movement in the traffic lane of the roadway will be prevented from leaving the roadway and will be deflected back into the traffic lane.

The usual types of. guard rails, safety fences, and the like, which are provided along, the sides of roadways, serve merely to obstruct a vehicle which has swerved or turned intoa wrong direction or path of movement and is headed away from the normal direction or path of movement in the traihc lane of the roadwayand strikes the guard rail, safety fence, or thelike.

An uncontrolled vehicle running out of the traiiic lane'of a usual. roadway and running into a usual saietyguardrail, safety'fence, or the like, is very frequently damaged; and when the speed of the vehicle is sufficiently high the safety guard rail,safety fence, ,or'the like may be broken down or through by the vehicle, and the vehicle may continue its uncontrolled course, and may fall into the ditch or ravine, or fall over the cliff, or fall .ofi a bridge, near or on which the roadwaymay. be located and be thus unsatisfactorily protected 'by the particular guard rail, safety fence, or the like;

The objects of thepresent invention include the provision of improved safety roadway con struction including a roadway and improved guard rail apparatus associated therewith, and 410 the operation of which is such that when a vehicle is swerved or turned from the normal path of movement in the trafiic lane of the roadway, a Wheel, and usually a front. wheel of. the ve-, hicle will strike the improved guard rail appa- 45 ratus and will be deflected thereby so as to direct the vehicle back into the normal path of movement in the trafiic lane.

Further objects of the improvements include the provision of safety roadway construction in- .50 eluding a roadway and guard railuapparatus,

its-plane of movement with-re'specttothe sur-.

face of theroadway and not to rise from the same and jump or bounce over the guard rail apparatus.

Further objects of the improvements include the provision of guardrail apparatus particularly adapted for use in safety roadway construction, the guard rail apparatus having novel and simplified construction and arrangement, and being adapted for easy manufactureand erection. f

The foregoing and other objects are attained by theimprovements, constructions, apparatus, parts, combinations. and] sub combinations, which comprise, the present invention, and the natureof which is set. forth in the following general statement, and preferred embodiments of which, together with their mode ofuse, are set forth in the following description, and which are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the-appended claims forming part hereof. f f

The nature of the present improved safety roadway construction and rotary guardrail apparatus therefor, may be stated in general terms as including a roadway which may be the roadway of a land highway, bridge, or the like, and rotary guard rail apparatus at one or more sides of. the roadway, the rotary guard rail apparatus includingaplurality of supporting means longitudinally spacedwith respect to each other at one 'sideof the roadway, the supporting means preferably comprising post members, and .aplurality of elongatedroller or rotary guard rail members, each guard railomember being preferably longitudinally cylindric, and being rotatably mounted on opposite post members.

'Ihe rollers or rotary guard rail members extend longitudinally at the side of the roadway, and preferably a plurality of the rotary guard rail members extend longitudinally endwise with respect'to each other.

Each longitudinally extending rotary member is preferably rotatable independently of the other rotary members, and the rotary members are preferably arranged with their longitudinal axes co-extensive with each other or intersecting-each other, and with adjacent ends preferably in rotary journal engagement with i each other, and preferably in rotary thrust abutment against opposite sides of one of .thepost members.

The longitudinal-axes ofthe elongated rotary memberslie in a plane which preferably has a uniformgelevation above the 1 upper surface of theroaclwaaam the elevationoi-the plane or roadway 11.

.surface.

chored in a longitudinally extending preferably 7 concrete foundation block, the upper surface of which may be an extension ofthe upper road way surface, and may slope, if desired, laterally with respect to the'normal traffic lane portions of the roadway, 1

The improved safety roadway construction and rotary guard rail: apparatus therefor, furthermore preferably includes improvements in the construction and .arrangemnt of certain parts as are hereinafter set forth and/or hereinafter set forth and. claimed, 7

Preferred embodiments of the improved safety roadway construction and rotary guard rail apparatus thereforjand of the parts thereof, are illustrated in'the accompanying drawings forming'ipart hereof, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary isometric view of one form of the present improved safety roadway construction', includingone preferred em bodiment' of the improved rotary guard rail apparatus'therefor; p

Fig 2, a fragmentary plan view of the improved guard rail apparatus of Fig.1; I Fig. 3, a side elevation thereof, with portions shown in longitudinal sectionf Fig. 4, an enlarged transverse sectional view of the improved safety roadway construction of Fig; 1,1 looking at therfront' end of the rotary guard railapparatus thereof;

Fig. 5, a fragmentary end view illustrating an embodiment of'the improved rotary guard rail apparatus including parallel rotary members in a roadway construction having double traffic lanes;

Fig. 6,'an isometric View of another embodinaent of the improved rotary guard rail appara Fig. 7, a cross-sectional view thereof, substan tially as on line 7-7, Fig. 6;

Fig.8, a fragmentary side elevation partially in section, illustrating another embodiment of the improved rotary guard rail, apparatus, hav-: ing a modified form of journal mounting for the rotary members; and I Fig. 9, a fragmentary end view of still another embodiment of the improved rotary guard rail apparatus.

Similar numerals refer throughout the drawings. 7

A preferred embodiment of the. improved safetyroadway construction is shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, and preferably includes a concrete base or foundation block 10 which is imbedded at one side of a roadway, which may be the roadway-of a landhighway, vehicular bridge, or the like, and which as illustrated is'a paved roadway 11; the foundation block 10 extending to similar parts longitudinally .at one side thereof and being" imbedded in the berm 12 at one side of the paved The upper surface of the base or foundation block 10 preferably slopes laterally upwardly from theupper surface of the paved roadway 11;

Th'e improved safety roadway construction furthermore preferably includes improved guard rail apparatus of which the foundation block 10 is a part, and which includes supporting means, preferably brackets or post members secured to the block 10, each post member being indicated generally by 13, and the post members being longitudinally spaced from each other with respect to the longitudinally extending block 10 and the longitudinally extending trafiic lane of the'paved roadway 11.

g Each post member 13 preferably includes a base plate 14 secured to the block 10 as byv anchor bolts 15 imbedded in the concrete thereof.

Preferably, an upright roller mounting member 16 projects upwardly from each base plate 14 at its, longitudinally central portion, and is .welded or. otherwissecured'to the base plate, or

may be integral therewith.

The upright roller v mounting members 16 extend laterally'of their respective base plates 14,

and the'post members 13 are preferably positioned on the block 10 so as to locate the members 16 at relatively short intervals, which, in this embodiment of the improved apparatus, are preferably approximately three feet. 7

Each upright roller mounting member 16 is preferably provided adjacent its top end witha cylindric bearing aperture 17.

An end roller guard rail member 18 is-rotatably'mounted in the upright members 16 of adjacent post members 13 at one end of the apparatus, and a roller or rotary guard rail member 18 is rotatably mounted between adjacent pairs of each of the other post members Each of the rollers-18 and 18 is preferably cylindric and may be a length of pipe. slightly 7 less than" three" feet in length and preferably having an outer diameter "of approximately four inches, so that it projects laterally somewhat beyond the upright members 16, although these dimensions may be varied considerably to suit various conditions. 7 I I The longitudinal axes of the roller guard rail members are preferably located at an elevation which is less than 15 inches, or in other words has an upper limit of 15 inches, and is substantially 8 A; inches above the upper surface of the base block 10, sothat the guard rail members are below the axles and bumpers of usual motor vehicles a Each of therollers 18 and 18 preferably has one end shrunk over a metal plug .19.fitting the inner diameterof. the pipe, and each'plug 19 has a journal stub,20 of reduced diameter, which is adapted to project beyond the end of the'roller and through the bearing aperture 17 of an adjacent upright rollei mounting member 16 for journalling therein. v

The other end of each roller 18 is preferably shrunk over an annular bearing member 21, and the bore 2220f each bearing member 21 is rotatably supported on the outer end portion of the journal stub 20 of the plug. 19 of an adjacent roller- Preferably, the bore 22 of each bearing member and the diameter of. each bearing aperture 17; is made slightly, larger than the outer diameterof each journal stub 20 of the plugs 19, and thev outer end p'ortion of the journal stub 20 of each plug 19 is tapered as shown at 20,-so' that the roller guard members may be longitudinally angledslightly with respect to each other to conform to a curve in the highway,iif desired.

For facilitating assembly of the improved apparatus,pthe other end of the end roller 18 is...prefrab1y; shrunk over, an. annular plug 23,

mcee which is provided with h mt'erheir the-eases bore 24. A' 'jourrial stud 25 isserewea idte t e bore 24 and rojects outWardly- 'therefrdfn, and

-a double traflic' Iari'e safety roadway construcis joiiinalled in the bearing aperture 1': er the end pes member 13.

n assembling th improved guard rail apparatus the pest members are located "on "the sleek I0 1 such way that *the tan i- 'tudiiial axes of "the rollers 18 "and 18' win he coextensive with each ather, when the rollers are -'loiigitudi nally 'alir'ied, and will intersect each ether whenthe rollers are longitudinally an led with "r'espee't te each ather, and the est members -'13 are spaced longitudinally at proper m- *tervaIs-se as to po'sitio'r'l the "ends "of the roller members 18 and 18' in rotary abuttable relaticn tvitfh the "sides "or the "adjacent u right "member "16, when the a paratus is assembled.

Beginning 'at the rear end (if the improved rotary "guard rail apparatus, viewed in Fig. 1, or at the left end thereof as viewedin Figs. 2 and'3, the journa'l stub 20 at one end of one of the "rollers 18 is inserted "through the bea'ring aperture 17 of the upright 16 at that end of the apparatus. Then the journal 'stub 20' o'f another 'roller 18 is inserted through the 'bear- 'ing aperture 17 of-the next adjacent upright 16 and into the bore "2215f the bearing miitmbel 21 at the btherend of the first roller 18.

This 'methool'of assembly is continued until the journal stub 20 "of the roller 18 has been journalled in the adjacent upright 16 and in the next preceding roller 18, after which the journalstud 25 may be inserted through hearing aperture 17 of the end upright 16 and screwed into the annular plug 23.

The improved safety roadway construction is particularly adapted for use at "a turn or curve in a land highway or as 'a safety roadway on "a vehicular bridge, or the like, "or wherever vehides, and particularly motor vehicles are likely "to swerve "or turn' from the normal path of --approaching wheel will strike one of th'e'g-uard rail members 'in its 'lower front quadrant.

Accordingly, the shock-of theimpact between 5 the "vehicle and the apparatus 'is substantially always taken by the resilient rubber tires of the vehicle, thereby reducing damage to the vehicle or to the guard rail apparatus to a minimum.

Since the rollers are each rotatably mounted independently, when a wheel of a motor vehicle strikes one of the rollers as indicated in dotdash lines in Fig. 2, the normal forwardrota tion of the wheel will rotate the roller downwardl-y in the direction of the-arrow A and tend to'pr'ev'ent 'the'whee'l from rising above itsplane of movement and from jumping or bouncing over the guard rail'apparatus, at the same time defie'ctingthe vehicle back into its normal'p'ath of movement. V I

In other words, the rotation of "the roller "by the impinging wheel tends to maintain the wheel upon the roadway, as "contrasted -with.'a*station 'ary guardrail which woiildprovide "frictional aidit in "rising'rrcim'the'readway.

resi'stahoe to rotation "of the ivhel and tend to The rmedified :rdrin shown n Fig. '5 ecm r'ises tion and includes the base block 'imbedded in the pavement 111 The post membef'sindicated aft'1-1'3 are secured to the -base block by anchor bolts "and are adapted for mm-nailing "a double row of laterally adjacent preferably rpar'alle'l elongated rollers 118 -for presenting guard rail deflecting means to vehicles travelin'g iii-"lanes at each side 'of "the ap aratus, and igrfpreventing contact or the fenders, etc.','of vehicles inside by side 't'raific lanes. In all 'othei respects, the rotary guard rail ap aratus shown in Fig. =5 is substantially the'same as that shown in Figs. 1 to '4 inclusive.

"The modifiedrotary guard rail apparatus shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is adapted to utilize -'r e1ative1y '1on'g lengths of pipe, and includes the base block 210 upon which the guard m1 *members are mounted.

The end brackets or post members 213 are substantially identical with the brackets 13 o'f the rotary guard rail apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, and the ends of the elongated roller '218'rnay 'be provided respectively with a plug having a reduced *end po'rt'ic'm and with a stud for -'journalling in the bearing apertures of said brackets.

Enlarged parabolicallyshaped ends 26 may be "provided on the ends -of the roller,. the outer curved surfaces of which are adapted :todefiect the wheel 'of a vehicle, which strikes the roller longitudinally of its journal "mountings in the post members 213.

Between the end post members 213 back-up post members 227 may be provided at regular intervals for reenforcing the roller 218 against impact. As best shown in Fig. '7, the upright roller mountingme'mber 2-28 'of each back-up member 227 is provided' with a substantially jcircular, notched portion 229 through which the roller 218 extends.

Balls or rollers 230 may be journalled at spaced intervals in the surface of the notch 229 to provide a roller bearing for the roller rail 218. Preferably, the *notch 22? is made substantially less than a full circle so that the outer wall of the roller rail. 218 projects laterally inwardly toward the highway beyond the upright +rol'le'r mounting member 228, so as to receive the impact of a vehicle wheel striking the apparatus exactly at the location of an upright memi'ber.

The modified "rotary guard rail apparatus shown in *Fig. 8 includes the brackets 01' post members 313 mounted on the base block 310 iand having thedouble ended journal stud 335 secured in 'the aperture-31 of the post member 313, with its ends projecting outwardly from opposite sides thereof.

The stud 335 is detaohably secured-in the post member preferably by meansofa pin 336 which is screwed in theepost member and passes th'roughthe stud. In this form of "the improved apparatus, the roller me'mbers 3'l8'apreferably have Iboth of their ends shrunk over rannular "bearing members 321, which are .ljournal mounted on the ends of the double =endedfjourna1 stud 335.

1 The mocli'fied r'o'tary guard rail apparatus shown in Fig. 9 ie similar "to the "form shown i F'Figs. '1 to 4 inclusive, excep't that the rollers n's are eumtu mounted in :bi-eekets orpost members 413 withithe longitudinalaxes of. the rollers located a relatively shortdistanceabove the base block 410. This form is adapted for use in garages and the like, where the'vehicles are driven at low speeds.

It will be observed that in each of the forms of the improvements above described; the brackets or post members constituting the, longitudinally spaced supporting means may be termedlongitudinally spaced upright supporting means adapted for being mounted adjacent the .trafiic lane of a highway and the like, and each supporting means having a lower transverse plane adapted for location at the level of C the upper surface of the highway and the like, and each form of the improvementsfurthermore includes one or more'longitudinally extending rotary guard rail members journalled on the upright supporting means, the longitudinal axis of rotation of eachguard rail member being elevated above the transverse planes, and said transverse planes as illustrated beingthe lower surfaces of the base plates of the several brackets or post'members 13, 113, 213,v 313, and 413. 1 v ;:Iclaim:,

1. Guard rail apparatus for highways "and the like, including longitudinally spaced upright sup: porting means adapted for being-mounted adjacent the traific lane of a highway and the like, .a lower transverse plane of each-supporting means being adapted for, location at the level of the .upper surface of the highway and the like, and. a longitudinally'extending rotary guard rail member journalled on the upright supporting means, thellongitudinal axis of rotation of the guard rail member being located at an elevation above the highway level transverse planes which has an upper limit of fifteen inches. 1 f

2. Guard rail apparatus for'highways and the like, includuing longitudinally spaced upright supporting means adapted for being mounted adjacent the trafiic lane of a highway and the like, a lower transverse plane of each supporting means being adapted for location at the level of the upper surface of the highway and the like, and a longitudinally extending rotary guard rail member journalled on the upright supporting means, the longitudinal axis of rotation of the guard rail member being located at an elevation of substantially eight and-one half inches above the transverse planes;

3. Guard rail apparatus for highways and the like, including longitudinally spaced upright supporting means adapted for beingmounted adjacent the traffic laneof a highway and'the like, a lower transverse plane of each supporting means being adapted for location at the level of the upper surface of the highway'and the like, and a plurality of longitudinally extending rotary guard rail members journalled. on the upright supporting means, the longitudinal axis of rotation of each rotary guard rail member being elevated above the transverse planes.

4. Guard rail apparatus for highways and the like, including longitudinally spaced upright supporting means adaptedfor being mounted adjacent thetraflic lane of a-highway-and the like, alower. transverse plane. of" each supporting means being adapted'for location at the level of the upper surface, of the. highway and the like,'and a plurality of longitudinally extending externally cylindric rotary guard rail members journalledonthe upright supporting means, the

: transverse planes.

5. Guard rail-apparatus for highways and the like, including longitudinally spaced upright supporting means adapted for being mounted adjacent the traffic lane of a highway and the like, a lower transverse plane of each supporting means being adaptedforlocation atthe level of the upper surface, of the highway and the like, and laterally adjacent longitudinally extending rotary guard rail members journalled on opposite sides of the upright supporting-means, .the longitudinal axes of. r0tation of the guard rail members beingv elevated above the transverse planes, v

6. Guard rail apparatus for highways and the like, including three ormore longitudinally spaced, upright supporting means adapted for being mounted adjacent the traflic lane of a highway and the like, alower transverse plane of each supporting means being adapted for location at the level of the upper surface vof the highway and the like, and a longitudinally extendingrotary guard rail memberjournalled on allof the upright supporting means, the :longitudinal axis of rotation of the guard rail member beingelevated abovethe transverse planes.

7. Guard rail apparatus .for highways and the'like, including longitudinally spaced upright supporting means adapted for being mounted adjacent the. traflic lane of a. highway and the like,,a lowertransverse plane of each supporting means being: adapted. for location. at the level of the upper surface of the highway and the like, and a longitudinally extending rotary guard rail member journalled at its ends on the upright supporting means, 'thelongitudinal axis of rotation of the guard rail member being ele- -vated above-the transverse-planes, and back-up journalling meanslocated between the supporting means and providing intermediate journal supports for the-rotary guard rail member.

8. Guardrail apparatus for. highways-and the like, including longitudinally spaced upright supporting means adapted for being mounted adjacent the -traffic lane of a highway and the like, a lower transverse plane of each supporting means being adapted for location at the level of the upper surface: of the highway and the like, and a plurality of longitudinally extending rotary guardrail members journalled on the uprightsupporting means, the longitudinal axes of rotation of the rotary guard rail members being'located-in a common above the transverse planes.

9. Safety roadway construction including a vehicular roadway and guard means adjacent the roadway, the guard means including longitudinallyspaced upright supporting means and means, the guardrail member and its longitudinal axis of rotation being elevated above adjacent upper surface portions of the roadway.

10. Safety roadway construction. including a vehicular roadway and guard means adjacent the roadway, the guard means including longi- 'tudinally spaced upright supporting means and ,a longitudinally "extending rotary guard, Frail member journalled on the .upright supporting means, the longitudinal axis of rotationof the guard rail member being located at an elevation above adjacent. upper surface portions of the plane elevated roadway which has an upper limit of fifteen inches.

11. Safety roadway construction including a vehicular roadway and guard means adjacent the roadway, the guard means including longitudinally spaced upright supporting means and a longitudinally extending rotary. guard rail member journalled on the upright supporting means, the longitudinal axis of rotation of the guard rail member being located at an elevation above adjacent upper surface portions of the roadway which is substantially eight and onehalf inches.

.2. Safety roadway construction including a vehicular roadway and guard means adjacent the roadway, the guard means including longitudinally spaced upright supporting means and a longitudinally extending externally cylindric rotary guard rail member journalled on the upright supporting means, the guard rail member and its longitudinal axis of rotation being elevated above adjacent upper surface portions of the roadway.

13. Safety roadway construction including a vehicular roadway and guard means adjacent the roadway, the guard means including longitudinally spaced upright supporting means and a longitudinally extending rotary guard rail member journalled on the upright supporting means, the guard rail member and its longitudinal axis of rotation being elevated above adjacent upper surface portions of the roadway, and the guard rail member projecting laterally beyond one side of the upright supporting means. 14. Safetyroadway constructionincluding a vehicular roadway and guard means adjacent the roadway, the guard means including longitudinally spaced upright supporting means and a plurality of longitudinally extending rotary guard rail members journalled on the upright supporting means, the guard rail members and their longitudinal axes of rotation being elevated above adjacent upper surface portions of the roadway.

15. Safety roadway construction including a vehicular roadway and guard means adjacent the roadway, the guard means including longitudinally spaced upright supporting means and a plurality of longitudinally extending rotary guard rail members journalled on the upright supporting means, the guard rail members and their longitudinal axes of rotation being elevated above adjacent upper surface portions of the roadway, and the rotary guard members having opposite ends adjacent one another and extending longitudinally endwise with respect to each other.

HARRY J. HICK. 

